Sri Lanka is unlikely to ratify the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC) at this time, according to Ministry of Foreign Affairs Spokesperson Thushara Rodrigo, despite renewed international pressure for the Government to do so.
Speaking to The Sunday Morning, Rodrigo stated that the Government’s primary focus was on domestic reconciliation and democratic reform.
“The High Commissioner had a very amicable visit to Sri Lanka, and his activities were very transparent and open to public questioning at a press briefing also. The Government also worked closely with the High Commissioner and continues to do so,” he said.
“Wherever concerns were raised, the Government cooperated and provided positive responses in the best interests of the country. What I can say is that we are willing to work with the United Nations (UN), but it needs to happen within a constitutional framework,” he added.
Rodrigo stressed that accountability and reconciliation remained central to the Government’s agenda, but would be pursued through domestic mechanisms.
“Those who have broken the law must be held accountable, but through proper judicial mechanisms in the country. As a sovereign State, accountability must be pursued through sovereign institutions,” he said.
His comments come just days after the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) presented its latest report on Sri Lanka to the Human Rights Council.
The report urged the Government to implement sweeping reforms to end entrenched impunity and to deliver justice to victims of war crimes and human rights violations committed during and after the country’s armed conflict.
Among its central recommendations, the OHCHR called on Sri Lanka to accede to the Rome Statute of the ICC. The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights argued that joining the ICC would provide an “enabling environment for transitional justice” by ensuring impartial accountability for international crimes, particularly given the persistent failures of domestic mechanisms.
The report noted that despite multiple pledges, Sri Lanka had failed to adequately investigate emblematic cases, prosecute perpetrators of enforced disappearances and torture, or bring justice to victims of conflict-related sexual violence.
It further highlighted that the Office on Missing Persons (OMP) had clarified the fate of only 18 individuals out of more than 15,000 cases filed, eroding trust among affected communities.
The High Commissioner warned that unless Sri Lanka joined international frameworks such as the Rome Statute, these accountability gaps would continue.
Accession, he stressed, would complement domestic reforms by subjecting alleged crimes of genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity, and the crime of aggression to impartial scrutiny when national courts fail to act.
The OHCHR also linked Rome Statute accession with broader reconciliation measures, including the release of long-term detainees under the Prevention of Terrorism Act, halting military land seizures in the north and east, and ensuring impartiality in institutions such as the OMP.
These steps, it argued, would help build trust among victimised communities and demonstrate the Government’s willingness to genuinely address past abuses.
Rodrigo, however, insisted that while the Government was committed to strengthening democratic institutions and working with the UN, it could not allow external mechanisms to override national sovereignty.